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 Walker has gained little traction among the moderate voters who
account for the majority of the party, the poll shows. But his
strength on the right gives him a good base of support, analysts
said.
"It's never bad to be the most conservative guy in a Republican
primary fight - he could win the nomination that way. The question
is can he do so in a way that does not alienate moderates?" said
David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at
Southern Illinois University.
Walker and Texas Senator Ted Cruz can each claim about a quarter of
the most conservative party members, the poll shows. While ardent
conservatives only account for 1 in 10 Republican voters, they are
more likely to vote in primary contests and take an active role in
politics. He also wins a large share of conservative-leaning voters
who are less inclined to see every issue in terms of black and
white.
Overall, 11 percent of Republicans say Walker is their pick to be
the party's nominee for the November 2016 election, putting him in
third place behind former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
 Walker supporters said they admired his willingness to take on
public-sector labor unions and govern as an uncompromising
conservative in a politically competitive state.
"I think he did a commendable job fighting against the unions, I
think the unions are just out of control," said poll respondent Don
Oliphant, 49, a prison guard from Lewes, Delaware.
PROS AND CONS
Reuters surveyed 2,852 self-identified Republicans over the month of
May and asked them about topics like health care and foreign policy
as well as which candidate they liked best.
The results provide insight into an electorate that has been sharply
divided over issues like immigration and upended by the grass-roots
Tea Party movement. The online poll among all Republicans has a
credibility interval of 2.1 percent. The credibility interval ranges
from 3.2 percent to 7.1 percent for smaller groups broken out by the
poll.
Though Walker does best among the most conservative voters, he also
does well among those who are open to compromise on some issues. For
example, he gets the support of 20 percent of those who have no
interest in renewable energy but believe that not all illegal
immigrants should be deported, 6 points ahead of any other
candidate.
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Walker gets the backing of only 7 percent of moderates, ranking
below six other Republican candidates.
Wisconsin resident Duane Feustel, 58, said he supported Walker's
fight against the unions but didn't like how budget cuts affected
his wife's job helping people with disabilities.
"He's done what he's done for Wisconsin - there's pros and cons to
it," said Feustel, an unemployed scrap-metal worker who backs Bush
at this point in the race.
Walker's path to the nomination, if successful, would mark a shift
for a party that in past elections has nominated candidates who draw
their support from moderates, like Mitt Romney in 2012 and John
McCain in 2008.
Republican strategists said Walker could pick up more support among
moderates once he formally enters the race and voters start paying
closer attention. But several questioned whether he will hold up to
scrutiny, noting that he has already fumbled questions on evolution,
religion and foreign policy.
"People are still projecting a lot on Scott Walker," said Craig
Robinson, a former political director for the Iowa Republican Party.
"He's everyone's favorite - we're not kicking the tires yet."
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan, editing by Ross Colvin)
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reserved.]
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